We've reached the halfway point of the 2025 NRL season, and the competition is still tighter than ever. Just six points separate 5th place from last, meaning the Top 8 could look very different come finals time.
With all 17 clubs still in the hunt for a playoff berth, one thing is clear: no side in this competition is invincible.
What is the chink in your club's armor? We analyse every club's kryptonite as we inch closer to finals footy.
5Penrith Panthers: Poached stars
The four-time premiership-winning Penrith Panthers have built one of the greatest systems in rugby league history, rivalling the Melbourne Storm for the top spot.
This incredible system has contributed to the birth of countless star players, leading to their four-year streak of dominance.
However, when stars rise, so do their paychecks, which has resulted in multiple rep-level players leaving over the years.
While the Panthers have been able to retain a few of their star players, such as Isaah Yeo, Nathan Cleary, Dylan Edwards, and Brian To'o, the list of departures is far longer, and even Penrith's seemingly bulletproof system couldn't keep up with the influx of gaps left.
The club is now struggling to instill their championship pedigree into their former stars' replacements, with Blaize Talagi, Isaiah Papali'i, and Izack Tago all struggling to keep up in 2025.
While fatigue was always going to be a concern for the Panthers coming into this year, the former core of Jarome Luai, James Fisher-Harris, and Stephen Crichton most likely would have been able to hold their own if they still donned the famous Panthers logo.
The same cannot be said of the current playing group, unfortunately.
